Seasons Change, and So Do People
by JesusLover13
Summary: After the events of the movie, the Plummer family is still struggling. But what they don't know is that danger waits for them at Shane and Claire's wedding.
1. Late For Sure

"Zoe! Wake up!" Seth whispered loudly, shaking his sister to wake her up.

"What?" she mumbled, turning over to see her younger brother standing by her bed.

"It's seven forty-five and we've gotta be at school by eight," he explained.

Zoe's eyes widened. "What? Why didn't you or Mom wake me up earlier?"

"Mom left for work before I got up. I haven't even gotten ready yet," he answered.

"Well, go get ready," she ordered. He nodded and silently left the room.

Zoe quickly found some nice-looking clothes and put them on, not bothering to make her bed or put her pajamas in a drawer. She brushed her hair and ran downstairs. She moved stuff around on the counter, looking for their lunch bags. "Crap," she said out loud. "Mom forgot to pack us something for lunch!" That's when she heard loud, running footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Mom didn't fix breakfast Zoe!" Lulu complained. "And I'm hungry!"

"Then fix your own breakfast!" Zoe snapped. "But-" Lulu was interrupted by Seth who came walking into the room at that moment. He was holding Peter.

"Zoe, Mom forgot to take Peter to his baby sitter's house. And it's too late to drop him off. He'll have to come to school with us," he explained.

Zoe let out a frustrated "Ugh" and then sighed. "Fine; but you'll have to watch him. He likes you best, anyway," she said. "Now, I have to make everyone lunch. You make everyone breakfast."

"I don't even know how to cook!" Seth exclaimed.

Zoe stared at him incredulously. "You can fix them cereal; _can't you?_" she asked.

Seth put Peter down and and started for the cabinet they kept the cereal in, but Lulu blocked his way. "We're out of cereal, grits, and oatmeal. All we have is eggs, bacon, and pancakes, but _you _don't know how to cook," Lulu explained.

Seth looked helplessly at his older sister. "Remind me to tell Mom we need to go shopping," Zoe said. "Lulu, go get your Firefly Girls cookies."

"But-" Zoe interrupted her. "_Go get them. Now,_" she ordered firmly.

Lulu sighed and left the room.

* * *

A few minutes later, with a bag of cookies and half a ham sandwich a piece, the Plummer children were in the mini van and off to school. They arrived at school ten minutes late. As soon as Zoe, Peter, and Seth entered the high school, they heard the words, "Zoe and Seth Plummer, please report to the principal's office right now." Zoe groaned, but Seth said nothing, even though he wasn't happy about it. He kept quiet because he knew that complaining wouldn't help and because he wanted to set a good example for his little brother. They quickly arrived at the office and waited to be called in.

"Peter," Seth said, hoping none of the grown-ups around would notice that Peter was there. "You'll have to sit here when Zoe and I get called in, okay?"

Peter smiled and hugged his brother. "Okay!" he replied cheerfully.

Seth sat him down on a bench beside the door as Mr. Murney called them in. "I'll be right back," Seth whispered to Peter.

Then, he and Zoe walked into the principal's office. "So," Mr. Murney started. He was now still the vice principal of the school, but also doing some acting on the side. He was pretty satisfied with his life at the moment. "What's your excuse this time?"

So, Zoe told him the whole story, and by-and-by, he said, "Creeper, I should've known you were clueless enough to not know how to cook."

Zoe glanced over at Seth to see if he was okay. He looked like the comment from Mr. Murney didn't bother him. "What punishment do you have for us this time?" Zoe asked.

"One week for you because you're the one driving the kids to school," Mr. Murney told her. He turned to Seth. "And two for the Creeper, because he can't cook."

"What?" Seth exclaimed. "That's not-"

"Do you want it to be three?" Mr. Murney interrupted.

Seth sighed. "No, sir," he said.

Seth and Zoe walked out of the principal's office, both of them angry at Murney. "I can't believe he gave me two weeks of detention just because I don't know how to cook!" Seth complained.

"That's not it," Zoe said. "It's just that he hates you for some reason."

Seth nodded. _Obviously, _he thought.

"Mmk. See you later," Zoe said, walking away.

That's when Seth noticed something. Peter was gone! Peter was no longer where he'd left him! Panic rose in Seth faster than it ever had before and he had no idea what to do.

* * *

**I know it was a short chapter, but the next one will be longer! ^_^ Review, please! =D**


	2. Dances and Danger

**This is a very long chapter, I know. But enjoy! =D

* * *

** Seth raced down the hall as fast as he could, hoping to find Zoe before she got to class. He was almost to the upper grades' classrooms when a firm yet soft hand came down on his shoulder. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he jumped, his heart pounding. Slowly, he turned around to see who it was. It was principal Claire Fletcher; or soon to be, Claire Wolfe. She was concerned at the sight of how worried Seth looked.

"Seth," she said softly. "Are you okay?"

Seth was panting because of all the running he'd been doing. He stared at the floor, wondering if he should tell her about his mistake of "misplacing" his little brother. He shook his head. "No," he answered truthfully. "I just need to find Shane."

Claire was really worried about the young teenager and wanted to help him, but she knew that he needed Shane more than he did her at the moment; so, she nodded and told him that he could find Shane in the gym.

Seth thanked her and ran to the gym so fast that he almost forgot to open the doors before going in. Quickly, he ran over to Shane, feeling like he would start crying at any minute.

Shane had deep concern written all over his face. "What's wrong?"

"W-Well," Seth started to explain. "Mom left for work and accidentally forgot to take Peter to his babysitter's house... a-and so we were running late again and then Murney wanted Zoe and I in the principal's office. I left Peter waiting on the bench outside the office and when I got back... he... was hone."

"Oh, crap," Shane muttered worriedly. "We're gonna have to go look for him."

Seth nodded and they both ran out of the room.

"Seth, why didn't you tell Claire before coming to get me? She could have helped you a lot more than I can. She knows this school like the back of her hand," Shane said.

"I know. I... I actually ran into her on the way to find you. I was just so scared that I didn't think about telling her," Seth explained.

"It's okay," Shane replied. He all of a sudden stopped running and looked at his watch. "Seth, it's eight-thirty. You're thirty minutes late for class. Go get Principal Fletcher and ask her to send a few people out to help me find Peter. Then, you head to class. After class, wait for a few minutes at your locker and if I've found Peter by then, I'll show up. If I don't show up, that means we're still searching. If I'm not there the first two times you wait at your locker, keep doing that until it's lunch time. If you wait fifteen minutes in the cafeteria and I don't show up, go look for me. If you don't find me before lunch is over, that'll mean something bad has happened. Go find Claire and tell her if that happens. Got it?"

Seth nodded.

"Okay, then," Shane said. "Get to class."

Seth did as he was told and ran off down the hall as Shane ran in the opposite direction.

* * *

A few minutes after that, Zoe was just getting out of her English class. She went to her locker and put some books into it. She took a few out and then closed it. She turned around in time to see her ex-boyfriend, Scott, walk by with his new girlfriend, Tracey. To her surprise, seeing the new couple did not make her jealous at all. In fact, she felt relieved. That is, until she saw a giant poster on the wall that read:

Annual School Dance

Friday night 8.

But don't come lonely,

Bring a date of your choice!

Seeing that poster made Zoe feel discouraged. Since she no longer had a boyfriend, there was no use in going to the dance. She didn't feel like going, anyway - even though there were plenty of boys that liked her. But she just didn't like any of them back.

She knew she could still go to the dance with her friend; but even then she still had nothing to wear. She sighed, thinking about not going to the dance at all.

* * *

Lulu was just arriving in her second class of the day, Math. She took her seat in the second row.

"Okay, class," the teacher started. "Today we're going to learn more about division; but before we do, I want to introduce you all to our newest student: Garret Brown."

It was about that time when a boy with brown hair and brown eyes walked into the room. His hair was spiky and he smiled at everyone after giving them a small wave.

He immediately caught Lulu's eye and she was overjoyed when he sat down in the empty seat to her right.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," she replied, shyer than she'd ever been.

As the teacher began teaching, Lulu couldn't help but notice how cute she thought the boy was. Her first crush. This could be interesting.

* * *

Meanwhile, Julie Plummer was busy working. Since Helga had quit her job as the family's babysitter, Julie had to take Tyler to work with her. She was busy doing paperwork when all of a sudden, Tyler started crying and screaming very loudly. She knew he was distracting her co-workers; so, she picked him up and held him until he fell asleep. She wasn't doing just one job now; she was doing two.

* * *

By the time lunch came around, Seth had seen no sign of Shane or his baby brother. He'd scarfed down his lunch and sat at a table alone, anxiously waiting for Shane to show up with Peter.

He tapped his fingers nervously on his knees and looked around.

He easily spotted Lulu sitting at one table with a couple of friends and a boy he didn't recognize. Zoe was sitting at a table with her cheerleading squad. She laughed as she and her friends talked.

He thought about how neither of his sisters knew that he'd lost their little brother. He kept waiting and didn't see Shane anywhere. And there was only fifteen minutes left of lunch!

He stood up and headed for the exit of the cafeteria. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him back just as he was about to leave. He reluctantly turned around. He was relieved when he saw it was just Zoe.

"Seth, what's wrong?" she asked, firm yet worried.

"N-Nothing," he lied. "I'm just going to go find Shane. And... see what he's doing."

"You look worried about something," Zoe told him. "What happened?"

Seth tried to look like nothing had happened. "Nothing," he insisted.

Zoe gave him a disapproving look.

He sighed. "Zoe, it's nothing. I promise," he said calmly.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Fine. Whatever," she replied. "But you better tell me when we get home." And with that, she walked off.

Seth sighed in relief and then left the room. He ran down the hall, looking in every room. Peter had to be somewhere. Even if Shane hadn't found him yet. He ran outside to the playground to look for Peter. Peter was no where to be seen. He looked nervously around outside before running back to the playground. He kicked the side of it as hard as he could. He had lost his own brother. It was all his fault. _Why? _he asked himself. _Why did I leave Peter out there alone?_

He leaned against the side of the playground and sighed. He heard the school bell ring, signaling lunch was over and everyone should go to their next class. But he didn't move. He just stood there for a couple of minutes until he saw Principal Claire Fletcher walking toward him.

"Seth, you know you should be in class right now," she told him.

"Where's Shane?" he asked desperately.

"I don't know," Claire answered. A look of realization crossed her face. "Wait. You mean he hasn't shown up with Peter yet?"

Seth shook his head. "Oh my gosh," she breathed. "Have you tried looking for them?"

"Yes. But I couldn't find them anywhere.'

Claire stared at him sadly. "Seth, it's not your fault that your brother ran off," she said kindly. "Just get to class. I'll send some more people out to look for Shane and Peter."

Seth nodded. "Thanks," he told her quietly before walking off toward the school.

* * *

By the time school was over, Seth still hadn't heard if they'd found Peter or not. He met up with Zoe and Lulu at their van.

"Hey. Where's Peter?" Lulu asked.

"He's with Shane," Seth answered. _I hope, _he thought. "But... you guys can go ahead home. Shane said he would drive me to my rehearsal for that play."

Zoe shrugged. "Okay. Whatever," she said easily. "We'll see you at home."

Seth nodded as he watched his sisters get into the mini van.

Lulu waved good-bye to Garret as she saw him walking by the van.

He flashed her a huge smile and waved back at her. This made Lulu excited.

Zoe, however, did not feel excited at all as she watched Scott and Tracey walk by, holding hands. She didn't feel bad at first; but she saw two more couples walk by after that. She was probably the only girl in school who didn't have a date for the dance or a boyfriend at all. Not only that, but she had nothing to wear.

She pulled out of the parking spot and drove Lulu home, frustrated. "So, how was school?" she asked Lulu, trying to get her mind off the stupid dance.

Lulu grinned from ear to ear. "It was great!" she exclaimed. "It was the best school day ever!"

Zoe glanced suspiciously at her little sister in the rear-view mirror. "Why?" she asked cautiously. "What made it better than any other school day?"

"Oh. Nothing," Lulu said after a dreamy sigh. She kept quiet for a little while and Zoe knew that there was a reason Lulu was acting the way she was. "It's Garret Brown!" Lulu finally burst out. "He's SO nice! And smart! And funny!"

Zoe smiled a somewhat sneaky smile. "Oooh. Sounds like you have a crush," she teased.

"He's not my crush!" Lulu protested. "He's just this really cool person who would make a really great friend!"

Zoe laughed. "Yeah. _Sure,_" she said sarcastically.

Lulu crossed her arms over her chest. "Zoe Plummer, you are _so _irritating sometimes!"

Zoe grinned. "I know."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom. It's me, Seth."

"Seth? Why are you calling from the school? Are you in trouble again?"

"No. It's just-"

"Did you get detention?"

"No. I mean, yes. But that's not why I was calling."

"What did Zoe and Lulu do this time?"

"Nothing, Mom. They didn't do anything. I just wanted to tell you something."

"All right, sweetheart, but not now. I've got to go change Tyler's diaper."

"But Mom-"

"Seth, would you mind picking up Peter from his babysitter's house for me?"

"...That's actually what I was calling about."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"You forgot to take him to his babysitter's house and so we brought him to school with us. And... I kind of... lost him."

"You WHAT?"

"I'm sorry, Mom! I tried to go look for him and even had Shane and some other people go look for him; but no one has shown up yet!"

"Did you tell Claire?"

"Yes."

"Do you need me to come down there?"

"No. We'll find him and I'll get Shane to call you when we do."

"Okay. I love you, Seth."

"Love you, too, Mom."

"Bye."

Seth hung up the phone and turned to face Claire. "We've got to find him," he told her.

Claire nodded. "I don't know where to look. We've looked everywhere already."

"Do you think maybe he left the school all together?"

"Maybe." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Shane's number for the thirtieth time that evening. A minute later, she hung up. "He hasn't been answering his phone. I'm getting worried. Should we call the police and get them to look?"

Seth opened his mouth to answer, but didn't get the chance; because that's when Shane came running into the room, panting. Much to their surprise, he was holding Peter. Seth practically leaped over a chair to get over to them. "Where did you find him?" he exclaimed.

"At a park not too far from here. He was crying and some strange woman was about to take him away. She said she was gonna report a missing child and adopt him if no one came back for him," Shane explained.

Seth took his brother out of Shane's arms and held him tightly. "I was so worried," he whispered, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

Claire and Shane exchanged grateful smiles.

"Thanks for finding him," Seth told Shane.

Shane smiled. "Any time." He glanced at his watch. "Seth! If we don't leave now, you'll be late for your rehearsal!"

Seth nodded. He was ready to go.

Shane went over to Claire and gave her a quick kiss before they left the room.

* * *

Lulu threw her backpack on the floor, some papers spilling out of it. She ignored them and went to the kitchen to get a snack and something to drink.

The house, she noticed, was quieter with both Seth _and _Peter gone. She assumed they were at rehearsal. Her Mom was still at work with Tyler and Zoe had just dropped her off and headed for the mall to meet up with a friend.

She heard a noise in the living room and went to investigate. She quickly found that the noise was Gary, their pet duck, chewing on her homework.

"Garry! Give that back!" she yelled, racing over to the papers and the duck. She struggled to pull the homework away from him. And when she finally did, the papers tore in half.

"Uh... Gary? Do you think my teacher will believe me when I tell her my duck ate my homework?"

* * *

Zoe studied the dark purple dress carefully. It had sparkles on it and a black belt that went around it. "This one just isn't my style," she finally said.

"Aw. Why not? It's a cute dress," said her friend, Susie.

Well, they weren't really friends. Zoe barely knew her. They had just seen each other around in school. They never really talked to each other at all.

Which is pretty much the reason why it surprised her when Susie asked if she wanted to go shopping with her after school.

"I know," Zoe replied. "But I just can't picture myself wearing it."

"Well, why don't you try on this one?" Susie asked, holding up a strapless, black dress with sequins on it.

Zoe smiled sadly. "I'll try it on, but I'm not going to buy it." She took the dress from Susie and tried it on quickly. She stared at herself in the mirror for a minute before coming out of the dressing room to show Susie how it looked on her.

"Wow," Susie breathed. "You look amazing."

"Thanks. I really like it."

"So, why aren't you gonna buy it?"

"I don't have enough money to buy it. But it's no big deal, anyway. I wasn't planning on going to the dance either way, though."

"Why not?"

"I don't have a date."

"Oh. Come on, Zoe. You know that you can get a date if you want one. A lot of guys at school like you."

"Yeah. But I don't like them."

"Well, who said you need a date to go to the dance? Why don't you just go with a friend?"

"Because I don't have anything to wear!"

"Oh. Don't worry about that. I know how you can get that dress and not have to pay a single penny for it."

"Really? How?"

"You stuff it in your bag and leave the store." Susie was whispering.

"Susie! No! That's wrong!"

"You want to go to the dance; don't you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"And you want to have a pretty dress to wear; right?"

"...Yeah..."

* * *

"I'm gonna go inside and talk to the director about you having detention for the next two weeks and see if we can work something out with him," Shane told Seth. "You and Peter can wait out here if you want."

Seth nodded and got out of the van. He picked Peter up to get him out also. Shane went into the building and Seth sat Peter down on the ground beside him.

Luckily, they'd gotten there early and so only a few people were waiting for rehearsal to start inside.

Peter took Seth's hand and they started to walk around the building. Seth had learned that Peter liked to take short walks occasionally.

"Well, Peter, looks like today will be the first day you'll get to see one of my real rehearsals. I hope you're excited," Seth said softly.

Peter grinned and held tightly on to Seth's hand.

Seth really loved hanging out with him. Even though he was only two. And Peter enjoyed it just as much as Seth did. He loved and looked up to his big brother.

Seth continued to speak softly to Peter as they walked. Everything was perfect until he spotted a tall figure coming toward them. It was Harold Clarkson - one of the guys who used to be on Murney's wrestling team. The one who hated Seth most.

After Shane had become the wrestling coach, all of the guys who used to pick on Seth usually just left him alone. All of them except Harold, that is.

He angrily walked over to the two brothers, his right fist raised.

Seth gulped. This didn't look too good. He pulled Peter behind him, not wanting his little brother to get hurt. "Go away," he ordered firmly, sounding braver than he thought he would.

"And miss a chance to get you back for the humiliation you've caused me? I don't think so," Harold snarled, slowly walking toward Seth. He had an evil grin plastered on his face and his fist was still raised. He easily aimed a punch at Seth.

It hit him in the face, hard. He didn't feel like getting beat up and he didn't want Peter to get hurt either; so, he did the only thing he could think to do at the moment.

"SHANE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lulu was watching television, still upset about her homework. She was eating some cookies and drinking milk. She loved being home alone. She could do whatever she wanted.

Well, she loved it until she heard a glass window break and saw a man dressed in all black come into the room.

She screamed.

* * *

**Hope y'all liked it! Review, please! ^^**


	3. Trouble

**Hi. :) Okay, okay. I know! It's been over a whole year since I last updated this! Most of this chapter was actually done last year - I just had to finish it in the last couple days. I saw part of The Pacifier on TV the other day and it got me motivated to write some more! :D  
So, if you don't remember what's happened, feel free to go back and read the last chapter. That should clear things up. :] **

**Oh. And to reply to some reviews:  
Keiri: Thanks so much for your review! ^_^ And haha. It definitely makes it more exciting, but it's kind of sad for Seth. xD  
Monnie: Thank you! That is one of the sweetest reviews I've ever gotten! It really means a lot, thanks! :D  
Brea: Thanks. I hope you like this chapter! :)**

**Abrey: Thank you! :D You'll find out in this chapter. ;)  
I hope that everyone enjoys reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! ^_^**

* * *

Julie, after work, went to the grocery store to get a few things. Luckily, Tyler had fallen asleep in his car seat; so, she had a peaceful time driving to the store. Once the two were in the store, the baby remained quiet and sleepy. She smiled softly at him. She had to admit, out of all of the children, he caused the least amount of trouble. Hopefully that _wouldn't _change when he got older.

She put some cans of soup in the cart and kept going down the food aisle. She stopped walking when she felt like someone was watching her. She glanced over her shoulder, but didn't see anyone close by.

_Okay, Julie, _she thought, _you're just being paranoid._

She sighed and kept walking. A minute later, she glanced over her shoulder again - just out of curiosity. There was a man in a black suit a few feet away. He was looking at something on a shelf. Julie turned back to look where she was walking. She heard footsteps behind her.

She looked over her shoulder once more. The dude in the black suit was following her.

* * *

Zoe ended up taking the dress. The store alarm hadn't gone off when she'd left, but an alarm in the back of her mind had. And it was driving her crazy.

"Don't worry, Zoe," she told herself as she was driving home. Susie wasn't with her. "You'll just wear the dress to the dance and then bring it back to the store. Maybe you'll even pay for it, then."

As convincing as that sounded to her, she still felt really bad. She was scared and wished that she'd never even went to the mall with Susie.

She felt like crying, but she didn't. She pulled into the driveway of their home. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Little did she know... everything was.

* * *

"Hello?" Shane answered his phone.

"Shane!" Lulu cried. "You've gotta get to our house quick! Someone broke in! I'm home alone!"

"What?" Shane exclaimed. "Where are you in the house?"

"Seth's closet. Come quick, please!"

"Okay. Stay there. I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't let whoever it is find you."

"...Okay, Shane."

"Oh, and Lulu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just scared."

"Don't worry, Lulu. I'm coming for you."

Lulu hung up the phone and stayed as quiet as she could. She felt like she could burst into tears at any second, but she knew being quiet was more important at the moment.

She could hear the bad dude's footsteps coming down the hallway. She held her breath.

"Here, little piggy. Come out, come out wherever you are," the man said in a soft voice.

Lulu was shaking with fear. She slowly moved her hand to Seth's baseball at on the floor. She picked it up and held it so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her heart was pounding and she was terrified. She prayed that Shane would hurry up and get there.

She heard the long curtain that Seth used for a door _swoosh _open. "I know you're in here," the man said.

Lulu stood, still holding tightly onto the bat. She heard a few more footsteps and watched fearfully as the door handle turned. She held up the bat.

The man swung the door open and Lulu hit him as hard as she could on the head. The baseball bat was metal - it would hurt more.

The guy fell onto the floor and Lulu took the opportunity to run out of the room. She ran downstairs and out the front door where she nearly collided with Zoe.

"Lulu!" Zoe yelled. "_What _are you doing?" She paused. "Did you get into the cookie jar again?"

"No!" Lulu protested. "Okay... yes, I did. But that's not why I'm out here! There was this guy and he broke into the house!"

"Oh my gosh! Did you call the police?"

"No, but I called Shane. And I think I dropped the phone in Seth's closet!"

Zoe pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "It's okay. I can call 911 from-"

"Drop the cell phone," a deep voice ordered from behind.

Zoe craned her neck to see who it was behind them. She and Lulu both turned to face whoever it was.

It was another man dressed in all black. He had a mask on and he was pointing a gun at them.

Zoe dropped her phone onto the ground.

* * *

Seth took another step back, gently pushing Peter back too.

"Need a body guard to protect you?" Harold asked, walking toward them.

Seth didn't say anything, but slowly kept backing up. His hands were shaking as he kept pushing Petter back further. His knees were weak and his right eye was throbbing.

"What's wrong?" Harold snarled, walking toward them. "You scared?"

Seth shook his head. "N-No." He kept walking backwards.

"Why are you stuttering then?"

Seth, quicker than ever before, turned, picked up Peter, and started running.

Harold came chasing after him.

Seth looked over his shoulder as e ran. Harold was getting closer.

Before Seth could stop himself, he tripped on a box and landed on the ground, hard.

Peter started crying and Seth couldn't get up. His foot was stuck in the box. He held his little brother close to him. Peter wasn't hurt, just scared. But Seth was hurt. Whatever was in that box was sharp and it'd cut hi leg. He was about to call for Shane again when Harold came back over to them.

Seth moved Peter as far away from Harold as possible while still holding onto him. Harold punched Seth in the stomach twice and Seth slammed his eyes shut.

They heard a horn beep, signaling Harold's friends were nearby. "See ya later, Creeper," Harold said, kicking Seth in the ribs before leaving.

Peter was still crying and Seth didn't think he could move. But he knew he had to. He reluctantly sat up and sat Peter down beside him. He used both hands to get his foot out of the box. And when he did, he realized just how badly his leg had been cut.

There was blood on the bottom of the leg of his jeans and he didn't dare to see how bad his leg looked.

He breathed in lungfuls of air and slowly stood up. He didn't know how far he could walk, but he knew he had to get Shane. He picked Peter up and went back around the building.

Shane came running out the door just as Seth reached it.

Seth looked up at him helplessly.

Shane didn't notice how Seth's leg looked, but he noticed the black eye immediately. "Seth, what happened?" he asked.

Seth debated telling him about it, but decided not to. "Nothing," he lied.

Shane gave him a disapproving look. "I'll talk to you about this later."

"Where are you going?"

"There's been an emergency with Lulu. I have to go get her."

"What? Is she okay?"

"Yes. Just stay here. I'll come and pick you up later."

"But-"

Seth couldn't finish, because Shane had already gotten into the van and shut the door. He rolled down the window. "Oh, and watch your brother."

Seth nodded and inwardly sighed. He turned to go into the building.

The cast and crew were all there for the rehearsal of the play. "Ah, Seth," the director, Marshall, said as the two brothers entered. "We were waiting on you."

"Sorry. I didn't-"

"No excuses. Late is unacceptable, no matter what your reason is."

Seth sighed and walked over to the director, still holding Peter.

"Oh. Who's this?" Marshall asked.

"My little brother, Peter," Seth answered. He handed Peter to Marshall.

The man grinned from ear to ear. "I love children!" he exclaimed. He looked at Peter happily. Peter had stopped crying by now.

Seth nodded, wincing at the pain in his leg.

It was then that the director finally noticed the teen's black eye. "What happened to your eye?"

"It's... stage makeup. I was just trying it on," Seth lied.

Marshall nodded slowly. "Well done. It looks real."

Seth made his way onto the stage with the rest of the cast, trying not to limp.

Marshall grinned at Peter again and then looked back at everyone on stage. "All right. Before we start rehearsal, I want you all to welcome the newest addition to our cast: Harold Clarkson."

Seth froze at the name and Harold grinned evilly as he walked onto the stage.

"Hey, pal," he whispered, standing next to Seth. He gave the younger boy a pat on the back.

Seth winced.

* * *

Julie quickly got the rest of the groceries that she needed. _Maybe I was just being paranoid, _she thought. _Maybe that guy really isn't following me._

She looked behind her and saw no one was there. Relief flooded through her as she went to pay for her groceries.

After exchanging small talk with the cashier and paying for everything, she took Tyler _and _her groceries back to her mini van.

Within just a few short minutes, they were in the car and leaving the parking lot of the store.

They were only fifteen minutes away from home when Julie noticed a black SUV following them, _very _closely.

She sped up a little bit to get some distance between them.

The SUV immediately sped up, too, bumping the back of her van a little.

She sped up a little more, her heart beginning to pound in her chest.

The SUV sped up as well, hitting the van harder this time.

Julie glanced at Tyler to make sure he was okay. He was peacefully asleep in his car seat. A third hit to the van made a high-pitched screeching sound.

Quickly, she pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

* * *

"Do you think we should take them i for ransom?" asked David Reed, one of the dude's who'd broken into the Plummer family's house.

"Nah. I think we should just torture them into telling us where the invention is," David's friend, Guy Louis, said.

"Um, excuse me?" Lulu asked. She and Zoe were both tied up and all of them were in the living room.

"What do you want, kid?" David snapped.

"Well, if you don't mind, I have a few suggestions," Lulu began.

"Okay," Guy said slowly.

"Well, for starters, if you torture us, that won't make us tell you where whatever it is is. Because if you torture us, we can't tell you," she explained. "And we have a bodyguard who could kick your butts if you held us for ransom."

David rolled his eyes. "Whatever, kid. We have-"

He was interrupted by the front door swinging open. Shane stood in the doorway, glaring at David and Guy. "Get away from those kids," he ordered.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Guy asked, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Shane.

"Shane!" Lulu cried.

"Be quiet," Zoe whispered.

Shane watched Guy and David carefully, trying to figure out what their next moves would be and why they were there.

He took a step forward and Guy fired a bullet at him.

He dodged it and raced toward Zoe and Lulu. He quickly untied Zoe's hands as Guy fired another bullet.

Shane moved away from the kids and Zoe began to untie Lulu's hands. The sisters raced upstairs.

David went after them.

Shane carefully watched Guy. Guy was about to fire his final bullet when they heard police sirens outside.

* * *

"Now listen and listen good," Harold snarled. "Next time I see you at school and you _don't _give me your lunch money, you're dead."

Seth rolled his eyes. "Well, jeez. Doesn't that sound a little over-used and childish to you?" he asked.

Harold slammed his fist against the wall, making Seth jump. "I mean it, kid!" he yelled. "No lunch money, no surviving through the rest of the school year. You _better _bring it next time!"

Seth's eyes were wide and his face was pale as Harold walked off.

"Aaaand... cut!" Marshall shouted. He turned to Seth and Harold after smiling at Peter. "Seth, Harold, great job. You're both excellent actors." It was a play that Marshall himself had written, and it was turning out great so far.

Seth nodded, but he wasn't acting, he was really scared. Even when he knew Harold had just been acting as well.

Marshall put Peter down when his cell phone rang. "Hold on one second," he told everyone. He walked out the door to take his phone call.

Everyone went about their business, talking and laughing.

Seth was standing alone on the left side of the stage when Harold walked over to him. "You better drop out of the play," Harold ordered.

"What? No!" Seth exclaimed.

"You will," said Harold, grinning evilly. "Or else."

Seth resisted the urge to glare at him as he walked away.

Peter came walking up to the stage, reaching up at Seth. Seth smiled and lifted him up.

Marshall strode back into the room, looking a little worried. "All right! Everyone, listen up! The rest of today's rehearsal has been canceled!" he called.

"Why?" some girl asked.

"My wife needs me at the moment. I'll see you all tomorrow." He went over to his desk and began getting his stuff together. He seemed to be in a hurry.

Seth walked off the stage and over to Marshall. "Is everything okay?"

Marshall glanced at him and continued to stuff his papers into his bag. "Yes. But it appears my wife has gone into labor and she wants me to be there when she has the baby. It's our first child, you know."

Seth nodded. "Congratulations."

Marshall smiled. "Thank you." He looked over at Peter as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Take good care of your brother, Seth. He's very sweet."

Seth smiled back at him. "I will."

Marshall started to walk away, but turned back to the boys. "And Seth?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't overuse that stage makeup. It's neat, but won't always work with our production."

Seth blushed. "Okay."

Marshall headed out of the building as quickly as he could without falling down.

"Ready to go home?" Seth asked his younger brother.

"Yes!" Peter exclaimed, clapping his hands and grinning.

Seth smiled and walked to the door. He grabbed his ski hat off a seat in the back row. He put it on his head and covered his right eye with it before walking out the door, Peter still in his arms. "I wonder where Shane is," he muttered aloud.

"Big boys," Peter said quietly, pointing in a random direction.

Seth looked and saw Harold and his large group of friends close by. He prayed they wouldn't come over there.

* * *

To make a long story short, David and Guy got away, but the person who was following Julie didn't.

The police went after them and Julie decided that she'd stay home with her daughters and her youngest son while Shane went to go pick up Seth from rehearsal.

Seth was fine when Shane arrived. Harold and his friends had left when Shane pulled into the parking lot.

Now, Shane drove in silence. Peter was in the backseat of the van in a car seat and Seth was sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Seth," Shane began after about five minutes, "what happened?"

Seth shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Shane said firmly. "What happened to your eye and why are you limping?"

"I'm fine," Seth assured him.

"I don't believe that," Shane stated.

Seth shook his head, staring out the window.

"Seth, you should know I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

"I said I was fine."

Shane stifled a sigh. Lately, he thought that the teenager had been doing better - and maybe he was. But if Seth went back to hiding his feelings, Shane knew it would take a long time to get him to open up again.

But feelings and injuries were two different things in this case.

Even though the Navy SEAL's mission to protect the family was over, he still to full responsibility and did what he needed to to help them.

He decided to let this one go for now. He would talk to Seth about it later, though.

When they arrived home, Seth hurried inside, heading upstairs before anyone could see him.

Shane came in, holding a sleepy Peter in his arms. "Mrs. Plummer?"

"Yes?" she called from the kitchen.

"Peter and Seth are home." He headed over to her.

She smiled softly, relieved to see her two year old. "Thanks, Shane."

"How's-"

"Shane?" Lulu asked as she walked into the room.

"Yes, Lulu?"

"Who were those people?"

He and Julie exchanged a look. He turned back to the nine year old. "I don't know. But I'm going to do everything I can to protect you."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He didn't know why people were trying to attack the Plummer family again, but he knew that it was his job to protect them.

Lulu smiled. "Thanks." She and Julie sat down at the table.

"When is your wedding?" Julie asked Shane.

"In a few days." He grinned at the thought of his lovely fiance.

"Can the Fireflies come?"

"Of course, Lulu."

Her face brightened and she raced out of the room.

Meanwhile, Zoe was banging on the bathroom door upstairs. "Seth! What's taking you so long?"

He didn't reply. He was sitting on the bathroom counter, wrapping a bandage around his bleeding leg. The glass hadn't gone too deep, so he figured his leg would be fine by the next morning.

Still, the bandage was already getting a bit of blood on it.

"Seth," Zoe rushed from the other side of the door.

He had just gotten the bandage completely on when his older sister swung the door open. "Zoe!" He tried to pull his jeans-leg down over the bandage before she could see it. "Don't you knock? I could have been using the bathroom!"

"Oh, please," she replied, rolling her eyes. "No one takes that long to pee." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking firm. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Zoe. I'm fine."

"Look, Seth, if you're not going to tell me, at least tell Mom or Shane." She was beyond worried about him, but she wouldn't admit it out loud. "Now, go. I've been waiting for an hour."

"That's an exaggeration," he said, but slowly left, anyway. Sighing, he wondered if maybe he should tell Shane. After all, Shane was tough, right? And he cared about the family, didn't he?

* * *

"Something's bothering you."

Shane nearly smiled. That's what he loved about Claire. He could look entirely emotionless and yet she _still _knew what he was thinking.

He looked over at her. The two of them were sitting on the couch at their own home. The television was on, but neither of them cared to watch it. He shook his head. "It's just those kids."

"The Plummer kids?"

"Yeah. They've gone through so much already. Things were just starting to get better, but..." he trailed off, lost in thought.

She waited patiently for him to finish.

"Someone broke into their house today."

Her eyes widened as she sat up straighter. "What?"

"Lulu was home alone. Someone followed Mrs. Plummer back too. Zoe and Lulu were both tied up when I got there. The guys escaped before the police got there."

"And Mrs. Plummer?"

"She was a bit shaken up, but the police caught the person after her."

"Do you know who those people could be?" she questioned.

He shook his head. "They had on masks." He was silent for a moment as he sighed. "Seth got beat up."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What? By who?"

"I don't know. He won't talk about it."

"Maybe we can get him to go to the guidance counselor? Get him to talk to her?"

"You've already tried that."

"Oh. Right. Well, I'll keep an eye out for him at school."

Shane nodded. The Plummer family still needed him. They still needed protection. And on top of that, he was getting married in just a few days.

His life had gone out of control and he had _no _idea how to fix it.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! I'll try to update more! You're all awesome! Review if you liked it, please! ^_^**


	4. Out of Control

**I'm so happy! This is the second update I've had in less than two months! ^_^ I really enjoy writing this story. :D**

**This chapter is only the start of what will happen in the rest of the fanfiction. But this chapter is also nothing compared to the next one, so I hope you enjoy it. ;)**

**LolaPop: Thanks so much for the review! ^_^ There's definitely a bit more about Seth and Lulu in this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. :)**

**Thanks to anyone who's been reading this story as well as reviewing. You're all awesome! ^_^  
**

**I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

Birds chirped cheerfully as they soared above the large house; flowers sitting in pots lined the edge of a long path leading up to the altar. Chairs sat facing the front of the makshift aisle. A long table was placed on the opposite side of the pool, where a wedding cake, as well as other deserts, sat.

It was the nicest the yard had ever looked - toys were cleaned up and Gary the duck wasn't making a mess.

Lulu bounced up and down excitedly as she stood inside the house with Claire Fletcher, Zoe, and her mother.

Claire's white wedding dress flowed to the ground, her wide smile making her look a bit younger. Her brown hair was put up with a nice long veil so long it reached the ground.

"Do I get to go out first?" Lulu asked. She was wearing a nice, purple flower girl dress.

"Yes," Julie replied, putting yet another pin in Claire's hair. She smiled. "Perfect. You look beautiful."

Claire smiled. She could feel her heart speed up a bit. Butterflies filled the pit of her stomach.

_Today is the day, _she thought gleefully. _I am going to marry Shane Wolfe._

Zoe smiled at her before nudging Lulu to start down the aisle outside as the music started to play.

The nine year old loved all the attention on herself as she skipped down the aisle, throwing lavender flowers everywhere.

Zoe followed after her, smiling. She'd never admit it out loud, but she was glad that Shane was marrying her principal.

Julie went next, nodding at people as she strode by.

Then came Claire. Shane was almost sure that his heart stopped beating for a moment when he saw her.

Claire was... well, gorgeous.

Shane somehow managed to wonder how he even deserved to be with someone as kind, brave, smart, and beautiful as Claire.

He was just a guy from the navy, a babysitter sent to protect a family who needed him.

How on Earth did he end up engaged to someone such as Claire Fletcher?

He barely knew what to do or say by the time she reached the altar.

In fact, the Navy SEAL - the tough guy, the fearless bodyguard - was actually nervous.

Claire could tell just by looking at him, so she took his hands into her own and smiled up at him.

He smiled back at her, happier than he'd ever been.

It took a while, but they both said their vows and exchanged rings.

Neither one of them could believe that they were actually married. It was amazing how fast all of it had happened.

"Shane," the preacher began, "you may now kiss your bride."

The newly wedded couple leaned toward each other and sealed their love with a kiss.

They were just pulling out of their kiss when an ear piercing scream sounded.

It was Lulu.

Claire froze and Shane immediately scanned the yard. He spotted Lulu at the desert table.

A figure dressed in all black - from head to toe - stood next to the girl, a gun in hand.

"Lulu!" Shane swiftly raced down the aisle, but stopped midway, just in case the mysterious attacker would try to hurt the girl if the lieutenant came any closer.

"Let her go," he ordered boldly.

The attacker shoved Lulu away just before firing a bullet into the sky.

Quite a few people screamed and everyone ducked to the ground.

Julie, who'd been conditioned not to freak out in the midst of danger, made a point grab her youngest daughter and pull her to safety as Shane and his wife sprung into action.

The newly weds charged toward the anonymous gunman from opposite directions.

Before he had time to react, his arm was being twisted behind him. A hard kick to his back caused him to drop the gun.

Shane was quick to grab it as Claire pinned the attacker down on the ground.

"Who are you?" Shane demanded. "And what do you want with this family?"

There was no answer. No noise whatsoever could be heard throughout the yard at that moment. It would have been almost peaceful if they all weren't in danger.

"Seth!" Zoe suddenly screamed.

Shane's head immediately turned. He quickly spotted Seth a few feet away. There was another person dressed in a black outfit standing behind the teen, holding a knife to his throat.

Shane was just about to come to the boy's aid when a voice spoke from nearby, "Don't move."

Shane craned his neck to see yet another attacker in the yard - this one pointing a gun at _him._

"If you move, you'll regret it," the person added.

Normally, Shane would have made a move - he could easily handle three ninjas. But he wasn't the only one at risk here.

Seth looked to be getting paler by the second and now there was yet another ninja standing by Zoe.

"What do you want?" Shane asked firmly, looking unafraid.

"The code," answered the woman ninja standing next to Zoe.

Shane shot Julie a look of confusion before turning back to Ninja Woman. "What code?"

"You know exactly which code," the other ninja growled, tightening his grip on Seth. "Give it to us now and no one gets hurt."

Shane had no idea what to do. He didn't even know if there really _was _a code. He had almost come up with a plan when he heard police sirens in the distance. Someone had called the police.

The ninjas that were still standing were quick to sprint out of the yard, although Shane managed to catch one of them by the ankle and pull him to the ground.

The ninja threw a punch to Shane's face, which unexpectedly hit him. He grabbed onto the attacker's leg tighter as he threw a punch of his own.

The two of them rolled around on the ground for a while. Shane was trying to stall for a while. All he had to do was wait for the police.

The ninja suddenly dropped limp to the ground and Shane's eyes went wide. He looked up to see Lulu standing next to him, a long board in her hands.

He got to his feet, looking worried. "Lulu, you could've been hurt."

"I couldn't let you get hurt either."

Shane sighed and gave her a hug. This was definitely not the wedding day he expected.

The police arrived shortly after that and took the two attackers, who'd been caught, away.

As soon as the police and the terrified wedding guests left, Shane and Claire met with the Plummer family in the living room of the house.

Lulu's eyes were wide. She knew she had to be brave, but those situations always scared her. She was sitting right in between her mother and Shane. She wanted to be as close to them as possible for she knew that they'd protect her if needed.

Zoe looked calm, but Shane knew that that was only a mask. She was just as scared and worried as Lulu was.

Seth's knuckles were white as he clutched the arm of the couch.

And Julie looked more concerned than ever before.

"Were those the same people from yesterday?" Claire asked. Her wedding dress, once white, was now spotted with dirt and grass stains.

"I couldn't tell," Shane replied, his own suit messy and ripped. "They had on masks."

"Why were they trying to hurt us?" Lulu asked, her voice small and quiet for once.

"I don't know, Lulu," Shane answered. "But the police said they'd drive by your house everyday. If they see anyone suspicious, they'll protect you." He turned to Mrs. Plummer. "They mentioned something about a code, though."

She shook her head - not giving a real answer to his unspoken question. She sighed. "All right, kids, go get ready for bed."

Zoe took Tyler, Seth took Peter, and Lulu followed them upstairs after giving Shane a hug.

Julie stood up, motioning for Claire and Shane to join her in the kitchen.

Once they were all in the room, Julie spoke, "I know what those people were after. It was one of Howard's inventions that he worked on in his spare time, but I can't tell you where it is or what it's for."

"Why not?" Shane asked.

"It's highly dangerous. Howard never meant for it to turn out wrong, but it did."

"Then, why do those people want it?" Claire questioned.

"So they can use it for their own purposes. I promised Howard that I'd never tell anyone where it is. I have to protect our family."

"Do you know the code?"

"Yes. And I don't know when those people will show up again, so I need you two to keep an eye on the kids while they're at school."

The couple nodded. "Do the kids know about Mr. Plummer's invention?" asked Shane.

"No, and we can't tell them," Julie explained. "They're already stressing out enough as it is. Lulu is terrified, Zoe is distant, and Seth has been acting strange lately. Even Gary isn't being himself."

"We'll keep an eye on the kids," Claire promised. She and Shane exchanged a look: _So much for the honeymoon._

* * *

Zoe heard Seth wince as he picked Peter up and put him into the crib. She stepped in the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest.

Seth turned around to leave the room, but stopped when he saw his older sister looking at him firmly. "What?" he asked.

"You need to talk to Mom or Shane."

He almost looked innocent. "About what?"

"Seth, you've been limping, you have a bruise on your face. Don't you think everyone has noticed by now?"

"Zoe, I'm fine."

"If you don't tell them, I will." Of course, she was lying, but he was too, so she didn't mention it.

He nearly glared at her. He hated it when people assumed he couldn't handle things on his own.

Yes, he loved to act, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his own when needed.

"I said I was fine. Just let me handle it," he told her. And with that, he brushed past her and out of the room.

Zoe sighed. She'd keep an eye on him the next day at school, even if she had to beat the crap out of someone to protect him.

* * *

"Whoa! That really happened?"

"Yeah - right in the middle of the wedding!"

"Were you scared?"

"No. I knew that Shane would protect me."

Garret grinned at her. Not only was Lulu the prettiest girl in fourth grade, but she was also brave - and she even had a bodyguard!

"There were cops there and everything!" she went on. "You should've seen how awesome it was! Shane and Principal Fletcher kicked some butt!"

"The principal?" He was almost incredulous.

"Yep. She was really tough."

"Sounds like it."

Lulu smiled at him. She had long since forgotten about how scared she'd been only a couple days before. Now, she felt like she was floating on the clouds. She and Garret were actually friends, but she was beginning to think that he might even have a crush on her.

Everything was perfect. _He _was perfect.

"Lulu!"

Her eyes snapped up to meet his. Apparently she had been lost in thought. "Yes?"

Garret grinned his perfect grin and Lulu thought she'd go flying out the window.

"Your family sounds really awesome," he told her, "not boring like mine."

She laughed, almost nervously. "You have _no _idea."

Garret flashed that great grin of his again. "I'd like to meet them someday."

She smiled. "Well, how about Friday night? You could come for dinner."

The things you say for love...

* * *

"Hey, Zoe."

The blonde looked up from her locker in time to see Susie standing there. "Hey."

"So, are you looking forward to the dance on Friday?"

Zoe supressed a sigh. "I guess."

The dance had been postponed due to a thunderstorm the Friday before and now the guilt on Zoe's mind was becoming even more unbearable.

"Do you still have the dress?" Susie questioned, smirking.

"Yeah." Zoe went back to going through her locker.

"What's with you? Why won't you say more than one word to me at a time? You're acting really weird, Zoe."

"It's not you. It's just... I don't know if I want to go to the dance or not."

Susie's eyes went wide. "What? Why?"

Zoe shrugged.

"Well, you _have _to go! You know that those dances are usually great. Plus, now that you've got that dress, you'll look great while you have a ton of fun. I heard they're even going to get a good DJ this year."

Zoe shook her head, pulling a book out of the locker and putting it in her backpack.

"Is this about Scott and Tracey?"

"What?" Now, it was Zoe's turn to be incredulous. "No. That's ridiculous."

"Then what is it?" Susie asked. "All the boys at school will love seeing you in that dress. And besides, you got it for free." She smiled. "You get a free ticket to having a great time. Why would you pass that opportunity up?"

Zoe thought about it. The more Susie went on, the more all of that sounded true. "I guess you're right." She tried to smile as she ignored the thoughts nagging in the back of her mind. "Maybe I will go to the dance."

* * *

Seth began arriving to play practice no earlier than the exact time he needed to be there. He couldn't risk getting hurt again, especially not when Zoe could get their mom all over his case.

After practice, he'd have to pray that Shane would show up before Harold had a chance to find him.

Thankfully, they were about halfway through the practices they needed to have before the actual play. That meant only a few more weeks of having to put up with Harold.

Unless... he had joined the productions for good.

The thought nearly made Seth shiver as he stood in the alley just outside the theater that evening as he waited for Shane to come pick him up.

He would have stayed inside and waited, but Marshall had to leave early again thanks to the new baby.

So, of course, the teen was stuck outside in the alley, waiting anxiously for Shane to arrive.

"Worried about something?" a voice asked from further down the alley.

Seth's eyes darted to that direction, but he could hardly see the figure close by. He didn't need to, though. He already knew who it was.

Harold walked out of the shadows and toward Seth. "Well? Aren't you gonna answer me?"

Seth carefully inched away from the larger boy. "I don't want any trouble," he said quietly.

"Oh, yeah?" Harold smirked. "Well, maybe I do." He swung a fist at Seth's head, but Seth was quick to duck away from it and start down the alley at a fast pace.

He had almost reached the end of it when he felt Harold grab the back of his jacket and jerk him back. His back was slammed against the building as fists clutched his jacket. "You and your stupid babysitter are gonna pay for the humiliation you've caused me."

"What humiliation?" Seth managed.

"You know _exactly _what humiliation," Harold growled.

Seth was quick to land a kick to Harold's leg, but couldn't do much more, because Harold punched him right in the stomach. Trying to gulp in lungfuls of air, Seth stopped himself from doubling over and managed to shove Harold away from him in time to get away. He scrambled to get to his feet and start down the alley. Hopefully Shane was already there.

Once again, though, he was pulled back and this time, punched in the ribs. Twice. He fell to the ground, wondering if he could even try to fight back. Harold was just about to punch him again when they heard a horn beep from the street.

Harold jumped up and raced away from Seth as quick as possible.

Seth tried to sit up quickly, but felt as though he was moving in slow motion for a moment. He breathed in deeply and tried to catch his breath. Whoever it was at the street would have to wait. He needed to rest for a minute.

And it only took a minute before Shane headed around the corner of the building and went over to the teen, who was still sitting on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"Seth." Shane's voice had nothing but concern in it as he walked over to the boy. "What happened?"

Seth looked up as Shane knelt down next to him. "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing to me," Shane insisted. "What happened? Who hurt you?"

"I'm fine."

Shane gave him a disapproving look. The teen wasn't opening up anymore, he wasn't even being honest. And just when the Navy SEAL thought that the family was doing better...  
Lulu was beginning to have nightmares, Seth was getting beat up, Zoe was acting really weird, Peter was always talking about a scary boy, Tyler kept crying, Julie was busy and stressed out with work...

Even Gary the duck looked neglected.  
And on top of all that, the lieutenant had just gotten married.

Shane suddenly felt a whole bunch of responsibility fall onto his shoulders.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Review if you like it, please! I'll try to update as soon as possible! ^_^**


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